Coin slot for coin-freed mechanisms



July 29,1930- L. c. BRADLEY COIN SLOT FOR COIN FREED MECHANfSMS Filed May 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 9. V y M 7 a m l W w, F m a h a f g m COIN SLOT FOR COIN FREED MECHANISMS Filed May 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /f fid' -3- /4 l 1 O z ]n?/en'250r,--

leslw C. firadley Patented July 29, 193% LESLIE CLIFFORD BRADLEY, [on BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAiTD, ASSIGNOR TO w. a '11. AVERY LIMITED, or BIRMINGHAM; ENGLAND I 001151 sno'rron GOINFR-EED MECHANISMS Application filed May 18,

This invention has reference to improvements in or relatingto coin slots for coin freed mechanisms and has for its object the 'provision of an improvedco-in slot which renders the operation of the choking of the coin slot by cardboard or other foreign materials more diiiicult and prevents the passage through the coin slot of such materials and also of metallic discs of a'ferrous or relatively soft nature.

The invention consists of an improved coin slot for coinfreed mechanisms characterized in that the slot is normally closed by a slidable member'or members which are capable of being actuated which pressure is exerted by the coin during the operation of passing the coin through the coin slot, the said slidable member or members co-operating with a secondary leveror levers adapted normally to prevent or limit the opening movement of the sliding member or members, the said secondary lever or levers being capable of being displaced for permitting of the opening movement of the slldingmember or members by coins only which are of substantially the same diameter as the denomination of coin specified for use with the mechanism. The invention further. resides in the incorporation in the coin slot ofja pivotally mounted magnet provided with means adapted to be brought into an obstructing position in the event of an attempt being made to pass a ferrous disc through the slot. The invention still further resides in the details of construction of the improved coin slot to be described hereinafter.

The invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings which illustrate the invention in itsapplication to acoin slot for use withcoin freed vending machines.

Inthe drawings I Figureil is a plan of the coin slot with the top half of the casing removed andshowing the component parts in the closed position.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the slot seen in Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow seen in the said figure, the

section being taken mainlyon 'thejplane indicated by the line 2-2 Figure l. Figure 3 is an end view of the slot;

by a lever or levers upon used. to be placed into communication with'the 1929, Serial no 364,254, and in Great Britain October 16, 1928. 1

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the plane indicated the. line l -4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar view" to Figure 1 but showlng'the parts in the partially open ,position.

Figureti is a similar view to Figures 1 and 5 but showing the parts in thefully open position, and

Figure 7 is a similarview to Figure l but showlng the magnet for preventing the insertion of discs of strongly para-magnetic materials.

Thecoin slot comprises a two-part casting 8, 8" adapted to be secured to the casingof the coin freed mechanism, the outer portion of each half of thecasting projecting from the casing and being provided with. an arcuate or triangular cut-away portion 8. Vithin outwardly projecting'portions of the casting is formed a slot 9 adapted toreceive the'coin 10 to be used for freeing the, mechanism, the depth of the slot 9 being substantially the thickness of the denomination'of coin to be The rear end of the coin slot is'iadapted coin chute (not shown). I V I Located ateach side of theslot 9 and in the front portion of the lower cas'ting 8 are a pair of livers 11 which are fulcrumed at their outer ends'on' pinscarried'in' the recessed sections formed in the saidfront portion. These levers 11 which will be termed hereinafter pressure exerting levers arelongitudinally disposed relatively tothe path of the coin 10 and are cranked intermediatethelr length, the lGiLlTSGCtlOH of the levers passing through elongated rectangular'slots 12 formed in a pair of rectangular blocks 12 slidably mounted within jguideways formed inthe body ly disposed of the casting and transverserelatively to the path to be taken by an inserted coin. The aforesaid blocks 12 are connected along their. upper and lower 'edges by means of a pair of coil springs 13 so that normally the said springs cause the adjacent'ends of the blocks 12 toabut on the centreline of the coin slot whereby the blocks '12 constitute closure members for the coin slot The outer edges of the inner ends of the provided adj acen u to theirifulcrawith hook sections 15 which arecnormallyiimaintained in an obstructing position within the outer section of the paths of t-he closure -rnembers and so that upon any endeavour being made to open the closure member" 12, other than by a coin or disc, the outward movementof the closure members-is. restricted by the hooked. portions of the secondary levers or,. as they will be termed hereinafter, V

lo cking levers,- (see Figure I The ad ust1ng screws 14 carrled' by the 'iisplit arms 15 v oft-hedocking levers 15 are adjusted- ,initially so that when, a coin of the diameter of the specified denomination. of

--coin. to be used .is passed between. the said lovers theinner ends of: the. pressure.:exert-- .ing levers come into contact with the aforesaid screws 14 and rock the locking-levers .lii -about their fulcra to an extent. suflicient to permit of, removal ,of the hoolrl sections 15 thereof from tllelQcllllflg[K181131011 and thereby to allow-,of the fulloutward sliding movement of the closure-members.12,(see Figure 6). The faces of the pressure exerting levers. 11 which ;.come into, contact initially with the peripheralnedge ofthe coin 10 are disposed in front of the closure members .12 andthesaid-faces are formed with steps in .k nown manner.

F o-rmedinthe lower portion 8? ofthe-castving' and partially belowand partially to the rear of the closure members'12 isa; recess 8 which is symmetrically. disposed relatively to the path to be taken by an inserted coin andlocated within the said recessis a magnet .17 which 13 pivotally mounted on a trans .vcr-sely CllSPOSGCl'PlD 18' so that the magnet is capable of being rockedfaloug the longitudinalaxis of the coin slot. Adjacent its outer endwand onits upper face. but to the rear of. theclosure members the magnet is prov ded w th a pair of upwardly directed. .pro ections 17 which are of a length such that .in the event of thesaidmagnet being tilted upwardly. the. pro]ect-1ons. come. into the. path tobe taken by a coin or discand prevent the insertion of the disc or coin (see .Figure 7 The pole pieceof the magnet 17 islocatecl below the closure members so that 1 he closuremembers serve as a keeper for the magnet.

The front portion 8 of the casting if ,pre- 7 ferred may have disposed therein a pair of spring pressed pawl members having ramp sections which are normally proyacted 1n the coin slot and along the longitudinal axis thereof and which are capable of being depressed to permit of the passage of the coin through the coin slot. In the event of an endeavour being made, however, to pass a "w-asher. The -inn er face of the ramp section is-sha-ped so-a's to admit of the washer readi- 1y being withdrawn after its inward motion has been arrested.

The-outer portionof the coinslotmay also be provided with hardness testingdevices so that discs of a soft metal are. rejected and rendered incapable'of being passed through the machine.

The locking levers15 are maintained noranally in-the"lockingposition. by means of springs 19.,

jTghe magnet 17 i-is-imaintained normally in theouhof-action position (see "Figure 4e) by means of a springQO.

it will be appreciated that a coin slot constructed as hereinbefore described-renders the -fraudulent working of the machine towhich itisfitted extremelydiflicult as'if soft materials such. as cardboard or paperare inserted in the coin slot the material is not sufficiently strong'to cause the'pressure exerting levers 11to open the coin slot and if an endeavour should be; made to pass a cardboard :disc of the specified size through the coin slot the pressure exerting levers'll would cause a diminution inthe diameter of the disc which -would prevent the said levers being'moved to the extent necessary to=cause the locking levers 15 to admitrof the opening of the. clos- -ure membersi12.a Similarly, hard discs of a lesser-diameter than the diameterof the specifiedcoinfail to openthe pressure exertingtleversii-llato theam'ount necessaryv to effect thefreeingiof'the closure members; I In additionytheattempt to pass discs of a ferrous or strongly .-1nagnetic nature is resisted even if thesediscsareof the specifieddiameteras discsof such materials cause the magnet 17 to move into the obstructing position Moreover, discs made from soft metal are preventedby therhardness testing device from being passed into the machine.

-ICWlll also be appreciatedthat as the coin slot-preventsthe passage past the closure members of mate-rials calculated to jamb the coin chute there is no'necessity for the proision, in the coin chute, of rubbish clearance devices such as have been-necessary heretozfore.

What I claim is fl. com slot for coin freed mechanisms comprising a body member, a coin slot formed in said body member, movablemeans mounted within the body member and adapted norlit) mally to close the coin slot, a lever means adapted to have contact with the periphery of fa coin during the'operation of inserting a ed normally to occupy a position which obsubsequently structs a full opening movement of the closure means and means carried by the secondary lever means which come into abutment with the pressure exerting lever means when a coin of the specified diameter is passed through the coin slot the pressure exerted by the coin on the pressure exerting lever means causing the said pressure exerting lever means to move the secondary lever means out of the obstructing'position and to admit of the closing means being moved into the fully open position.

2. A coin slot for coin freed mechanisms comprising a body member, a coin slot formed in said body member,a pair of oppositely acting members slidably mounted within the body member and adapted to close the coin slot, means for normally maintaining the slidable members in the closing position, a pair of levers disposed on opposite sides of, the coin slot and adapted to contact with the periphery of a coin during the insertion of a coin in the slot and during its passage through the slot, the rocking movement imparted to the levers by the coin being transmitted to the slidable members and serving to eflect an opening movement thereof, a pair of secondary levers disposed to the rear of the closure members, means carried by the said secondary levers which normally prevent the full opening of the closure members, arms carried by the secondary levers and adjustable abutments mounted coin into the slot and during its passage therethrough said leverspassing through the holes in the closure members whereby the rocking movement imparted to the levers during the operation of passing a coin through the coin slot is transmitted tothe slidable members and caused to efiect an opening movement thereof, a pair of secondary levers disposed at the rear of the aforesaid closure members, hook sections carriedbythe secondary levers andadapted to be disposednormally within the paths of the closure members for the purposeof limiting initially the opening movement permitted thereto, spring means for normally maintaining the said hook sections in the obstructing position, arms carried by the secondary levers and adjustable screws mounted in said arms the noses whereof are adapted to contact with the pressure exerting levers when said levers are rocked to the degree rendered possible only by coins of the specified diameter the pressure exerted by the coin subsequent to the making of contact between the pressureexerting levers and the abutment causmg the secondary levers to be moved out of i the obstructing position whereby the closure members may be moved to the open position to admit of the passage of a coin through the coin slot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LESLIE CLIFFORD BRADLEY.

within said arms and capable of being adjusted so that contact is effected with the pressure exerting levers when the said levers are moved by a coin of the specified diameter the pressure exerted by the coin subsequent to the making of contact between the pressure exerting levers and the abutments causing the secondary levers to move out of the obstructing position whereby the closure members may be moved to the open position to admit of the passage of a coin through the slot.

3. A coin slot for coin freed mechanisms, comprising a body member, a coin slot formed in the said body member, a pair of members slidably mounted within the body member and adapted to close the coin slot, spring means for normally maintaining the slidable members in the closing position, holes formed in the said slidable members, a pair of levers disposed on opposite sides of the said slot and adapted to contact with the periphery of a coin upon the insertion of a 

